Bangalore, 26th April, 2017: SBI General Insurance Company Ltd, one of the fastest growing general insurance companies in India, did a study on their claims data around World Malaria Day to create awareness on how this disease can be prevented.

World Malaria Day is about celebrating the success there has been in the drive to eradicate malaria from the world, as well as raising awareness of the disease and its prevention so that one day it can be completely eradicated. In alignment with World Malaria Day, SBI General Insurance analyzed its internal claims data to discover trends in claims made against malaria.

SBI General’s study on claims reveals that maximum number of claims for malaria were reported by non-metro cities which accounted for 85% while only 15% claims were reported by metro cities. Also, most claims were reported from Uttar Pradesh which accounted to 32% followed by Gujarat (19%) and Maharashtra (13%). Other states accounted for 36% of the total claims made.

Below are some of the interesting trends from the claims data on malaria:
• Maximum claims were reported in the age group of 21 to 40 years, the working population, which accounts for 60% of the total claims made
• Claims for Men were at 69% and for women were at 31%. This is an interesting trend as even though both are affected by Malaria equally, however, as the trend reflects men purchase more insurance than women
• Vivax Malaria being the most common form of the disease, has received the maximum claims at 37%
• Due to water logging and damp weather, which is favorable climate for growth of Anopheles Mosquito, malaria prevalence is more after rainy season till winter which can be seen from the claims that were made throughout the year

Mick Miller, SVP Claims, SBI General Insurance said, “Malaria has been a problem in India for centuries. The government is taking various initiatives to control Malaria and have been successful. Our internal claims data depicts maximum malaria cases are from the working population. Also, most cases were reported by men than women as fewer women have health insurance for themselves. It is critical for them to have individual insurance policy for wider cover. Additionally, we have also observed that malaria prevalence is more after rainy season till winter as the climate is favorable for growth of Anopheles.

According to the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme, last year, there were 10, 59,437 cases of malaria in India, while 242 people died due to the disease. Hence we need to continue to spread awareness on malaria and how this can be prevented.”

Some of the preventive measures for Malaria includes sleeping under a mosquito net or use of a good mosquito repellant, citronella oil is also known to keep mosquitoes at bay and the use of long sleeves. Most importantly keeping your surrounding areas clean and clear of stagnant water will also help. At SBI General, it’s our aim to partner with people and help them achieve better health and a sense of security along the way.

About SBI General Insurance
SBI General Insurance Company Limited commenced its operations in the year 2010 and is a 74: 26 joint venture between State Bank of India and Insurance Australia Group (IAG). The company offers a wide range of general insurance products in retail and commercial space at affordable prices to make insurance accessible to all individuals and businesses.
The company offers a complete suite of products ranging from Motor, Health, Personal Accident, Travel and Home Insurance in the retail space and products like Aviation, Fire, Marine, Package, Construction & Engineering and Liability Insurance in the commercial space.
SBI General Insurance follows a robust multi-distribution model encompassing Bancassurance, Agency, Broking and Retail Direct Channels. Today, SBI General’s Distribution family includes over 19,000 IRDA certified employees including SBI & its Associate Bank employees, and over 7,500 Agents to make insurance easily available even in the remote areas of the country.
SBI General Insurance has established its presence in nearly 21000 branches of State Bank Group. The company’s current geographical exposure covers 100+ cities pan India with a presence of another 350+ locations through satellite resources. SBI General Insurance is currently serving three key customer segments i.e. Retail Segment (catering to Individual & Families), Corporate Segment (catering mid to large size companies) and SME Segment.